Journalists are not allowed to the trial of their colleagues in Brest

A judge from Brest’s Moscow district ignored the motion requesting that journalists are allowed to the hearings of the case of a press photographer Milana Kharytonava.

Consequently, only the participants of the proceedings and the husband of Milana Kharytonava – a journalist Ales Liauchuk were allowed to the judge’s office. Other representatives of the media noted, that at the same time the hall, that could have accommodate all the willing, was vacant, the human rights center Viasna reports.

We would remind that Milana Kharytonava is trying to defend her honor, dignity and professional reputation after the publication of offensive statements to her address by an anonymous on one of the city’s web-sites. It was found out later that Vladimir Minavich who works for the Brest Herald newspaper was the author of the postings. The Brest city executive committee is the founder of the newspaper. Apart from the refutation of the conclusions made in the comments, Milana Kharytonava demands that the journalist of the state-owned newspaper compensates the caused moral damage in the amount of 3 million roubles.

During the preliminary hearings on 11 January, Minevich suggested a peaceful agreement: he refutes his words about Milana Kharytonava and she, in her turn, refuses from the compensation of the moral damage and the judicial charges. However Kharytonava does not agree to such an option since she has already spent a lot of efforts and money on struggling for justice.